"Art student study - Picasso 2" marker

I am still thinking about this art student series. This is out of the sketchbook of an idea using Picasso's "Three Musicians" as the inspiration.

"art student study on scratch board"

"Art Student series- Picasso" scratch board

This is an idea that I have had. Playing with portraits the past few weeks I started to think about. Encrypting a student portrait in the context of art history. I think that I want to work out these pieces on scratch board then make a lino-cut print.

"apple study" oil paint

This is a painting that I had just started. It is still in the starting stages, but I had a student who wanted it. So I made a deal with her, if she could ace this self portrait assignment and bring her grad up to an "A" I would give it to her. Well she restarted the assignment with a new purpose. She took it home and spent "all night" working on it. And sure enough she nailed it. So I gave it to her.

"Scratchy" scratch board

I was playing with this small piece of scratch board today. I mostly wanted to ribbing tool made out of a grooved piece of steel. I actually started a bigger piece today as well. Let's see if I can finish it in the next day or two.

"Round Robin" pen

Tonight I was at an awards presentation for some of the outstanding students at our school. I presented the award for the outstanding art student, and in thinking about this presentation I found a great short essay from Andy Jones which asks the question 'What makes a great artist?'. I have struggled with the idea of being an artist. I feel like a "jack of all trades, but master of none". I think that is just part of being a Jr. high art teacher. This quote made me me feel better about what I strive to be in my explorations. Tonight I quoted only the first part of this essay hoping to inspire this student. It also inspired me.

What makes a great artist?

In my extremely humble opinion, an artist is someone who creates. Everyone is an artist, being artistic is what separates us from the animals. What makes a great artist is not the ability they have, or the skill, or the technique, or the experience. A great artist has magnetism, magic, spirit. A great artist makes somebody stop and think, and think again, then reflect and ultimately, react. Whether it be music, the written word, architecture or painting, the ability to make people think about what they are looking at rather than just look and move on, is to me, the greatest gift an artist can posses.

-Andy Jones

"The Wolfman" marker

For our sketchbook theme this week I choose things from dreams or fiction. I had to draw a monster. Monsters are just so much fun to draw.

"Tocan man" scratch board

I pulled out an old piece of scratch board and "scratched" this out.

"sketch doodles" pen

Today's pictures were a collaborative work between my 6 year old daughter and myself. I have several sketchbooks that I draw in. This is from my Sunday sketchbook which is also full of notes and pondering from church meetings and lessons.

"Soldiers" digital photo

Children play soldier. That makes sense. But why do soldiers play children?
Karl Kraus

"The Raven" pen

















This is a portrait of Edgar Allen Poe. Not unlike the one I did a month or two back. The difference is that this drawing is made up of his poem

"The Raven". You can see my bad handwriting as I overlapped words to get darker values. I worked on this on and off over the past 3 day's.

Here is the classic poem:
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

THE RAVEN.

ONCE upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"—
Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore;—
'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never—nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the Angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting—
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

"crane sketch" pen

Here is one from today's sketchbook.

"Medley Relay" digital photo

It is definitely a busy time of year for me. I coach the Jr. high track team. Today was our district championship. Our boys and girls medley relay teams both took first place, as well as break the district records. The boys ran a 3:55 and the girls ran 4:35. The medley relay has 4 runners. The first two runners run a 200 meeter sprint, the third runner runs a 400 meter, and last runner (anchor leg) runs a 800 meter. It is not only about running these legs of the relay fast, but also to get the baton handed off efficiently and quickly. Our kids did a great job with all of that.

"whose eyes" pencil

Another busy day. Sometimes I have to give something up just to find time to draw.

"making faces" pencil

My students are working on self portraits right now. I took their photos and they are using the grid technique to make their drawings. This is a sketch from a photo that is a perfect example of the 7th grade male.

"face study" indelible pencil

This is an incomplete study. The shading is not well represented in the scan. There is not as much contrast in the drawing.

"apple study" study

Gen and I shared these for breakfast.

"Reznor" pen















This started out as a doodle and grew into something else.

"Calavera 4" color pencil

One more calavera design. It will be my last one for awhile I think.

"Calavera 3" color pencil / digital paint

Having more fun with the calavera.

"Calavera" marker and color pencil















I brought up the Mexican tradition of calavera's. These are skulls which are decorated with patterns and colors. This is part of the day of the dead celebrations. These designs are entering more and more into American pop culture. This calavera is a bit lopsided in the head. just like his maker.

"Stare" digital photo

Today has been one of the busier days. I did not have a chance to get into my sketchbook. So I took this photo with my iPhone. The nice thing about using a camera is that because of it's nature, you are forced to crop your subject. This in turn can help to create a more dynamic composition.

"Face Study" pencil

Today's sketchbook drawing is another attempt at faces.

"pray" pencil

I am still working on drawing faces. Practice, practice, practice.

"Post Mortem Reconstruction" pencil

"facial muscle study" pencil

Today I was discussing forensic artists with my students. These are artists who do witness description portraits and post mortem reconstruction. I wanted to show them that what is under the skin effects what is on the surface. So when I came home I pulled out my old anatomy book from college and started thumbing through it. This is a sketch from one of the pictures showing the muscles on the side of the face.

"Portrait Study" charcoal

I am starting back into portraits with my students. Right now we are studying the skull and muscle structure. I found a photo that really showed allot of contrast. I thought that the charcoal could accentuate those values of light and dark. I have really appreciated all the comments people make. Please feel free to comment and critique. It is a boost to know that I other people are seeing this besides myself.

Thanks

Customized Longboard"Raven-Skull design"

















I have been working on the board for quite awhile. I cut the board out of 10 ply birch wood back in November. I only recently painted in the design with acrylic paint. I sketched out the design last week and then made a few changes while I painted it in. I wanted to use the tapered swallow tail design to give it a more dynamic silhouette. The design itself came from my own fascination with birds and skulls.
I am still not done with it. I need to put grip tape on it, a final coat of sealant, and then some longboard skating trucks. I might post ti again when everything is on it.

"Blind" mixed media

This was another piece that was used as a demonstration on how to sculpt and dry brush paint to emphasis texture.

"pillars" pen

What holds us up?

"Bannans" pen

Todays lunch